Hood fastener



FeB. 19, 1929.

C. R. HENNICKE HOOD FASTENER Filed June 50, 1926 M%1INVENTOR I Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL R..HEI T1\TICKE, OF CLEVELAND, OI-IIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE EBERHARD MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

noon FASTENER.

Application filed June 30, 1926.

This invention relates to hood fasteners of the type commonly employed on motor Vehicles for releasably securing the hood to the frame of the machine and constitutes an improvement over the latch shown in my copending application, Serial No. 119,642, filed June 30, 1926.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved hood fastener having means associated therewith for yieldably pressing againstthe side of the hood to hold the latter from rattling when the machine is passing over uneven ground, and to provide a fastener which possesses suiiicient flexibility to withstand the strain to which devices of this kind are subject, particularly when the vehicle to which they are applied is subj ected to severe jolting.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a fastener which will have all of the flexibility necessary to a device of this kind, but which will retain itself in a vertical position when it is released, so that it can not fall outwardly against the fender of the vehicle and scratch or damage the finish thereof and so that it can not fall inwardly and be in the way of the hood when the latter is raised and lowered.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fastener which can be cheaply manufactured and which has as few parts as possible and which is both simple and durable.

The invention may be easily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which: 1

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete assembly showing the manner in which it is applied to a car and showing the fastener in hood securing position;

Figure 2 is a view generally similar to Fig ure 1 showing the fastener releasedand illustrating the manner in which the fastener maintains itself in a vertical position;

Figure 3'is a side elevation of the stem of the fastener;

Figure 4L is a top plan view of the: base thereof; i I

Figure 5 is a side elevation of the base.-

In the drawings, 2 designates a cylindrical barrel having a suitable head 3 secured to the upper end thereof and projecting downwardly and outwardly from the inner side of the head is a lug or hook 4:. Projecting up nto the barrel is one vertical leg 5 of a sub- Serial No. 119,643.

stantially U-shaped stem member 6 whose other'leg is designated 7. The member 6 is preferably made of a single piece of metal, and the part 5 is round, while the leg 7 is flattened out to form, a spring portion, as illustrated.

The curved or bent portion 8 which connects the legs 5 and 7 passes under the crossbar 9 of a base member 10 which is adapted to be secured to the frame of the vehicle, this frame being designated A in Figure 1. The base member 10 has a horizontal pad 11 at each side thereof and between the pad portions 11 are upright flanges 12; The flanges 12 are connected by the crossbar 9, herein above referred to. The flanges 12 are preferably provided with a small lug 13 at one end thereof.

Secured to the upper end of the leg 6, within the barrel 2, is an abutment 14.

Confined between the abutment 14: and the inturned shoulder 15 at the lowermost end of the barrel is a compression spring 16 which tends to urge thebarrel 2 downwardly toward the base member 10.

Secured to the side of the'hood B is a catch-plate 16 having an outwardly projected eye portion 17 with which the hook 4 is adapted to cooperate. The catch-plate 16 may have an insert 18 of a non-metallic material, such as a rubber button, secured therein to prevent any wear on the finished surfaces of the hood, and to prevent any possible noise due to chatter. This pad or button is so located that the spring leg 7 presses against it when the fastener is shown in hood securing position. In Figure 2 it is shown in released position. In order to secure the fastener when it is in the position shown in Figure 2, the operator lifts up on the head 3, compressing the spring 16, until he has raised the end of the hook at above the eye 17. He then springs the fastener in toward the hood and releases-his hold on the head 3, allowing the hook 4 to enter the eye 17 VVhen'the parts are thus engaged the spring 7 will exert a pressure laterally against the side of the hood to eliminate any rattle. By the provision of a rubber button, as indicated at 18, this is done in a most efiective manner, but

7 it will be understood that the button 18 is not essential. By reason of the fact that the curved portion 8 of the member 6 is round, and is transverse to the round bar 9, the surface contact between the two parts is relatively small, and the stem memberfi has a substantially universal movement with respect to the base member 10. This provides for all of the flexibility necessary in a structure of this kind, and provides a structure which can be easily manufactured and assembled.

To release the fastener the operator lifts up on the head 3 until the hook 4 clears the eye 17, whereupon he swings the head outaway from the hood a sufficient distance to clear the eye 17, and then lets the spring 16 function to draw the barrel down. The spring 16 will hold the lower end portion 15 of the l'aarrel in frictional engagement with tops of the flanges 12 with suliicient pressure to prevent the fastener from flopping sideways either in toward the hood or out against the fender of the vehicle. In this way the fastener automatically retains itself in a substantially vertical position when it is released from engagement with the catch-plate.

By making a member (S of a single piece of material, and passing it under the crossbar 9 of the base member 10, the construction of the device is very materially simplified over the construction of devices of this character heretofore provided, and the device can be more cheaply and more easily assembled. lVhen the hook t is in engagen'ient with the eye 17, the spring leg 7 will press with considerable force against the side of the hood, or against the button 18, and thereby hold the hood laterally against undue vibration. Nhen the vehicle is traveling over rough roads, or when it is subjected to a severe jolt, the spring 7 as well as the spring 16 will yield, thereby giving a considerable resiliency to the device and relieving the parts of considerable strain to which they would otherwise be subject.

lVhile l have illust shed a preferredembodiment of my invention, it will be understood that the invention may be otherwise embodied, and that various changes and modifications may be made in the Stl'UC-JUIG illustrated within the spirit of my invention and under the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A. hood fastener including a base member, a stem member having vertically extending legs pivotally connected with the base member, a latch member slidably carried on one of the legs, a spring for resiliently urging the latch member toward the base memher, a hood engaging terminal on the other leg, said stem member having an integral resilient portion between said terminal and the latch member.

2. A fastener for automobile hoods including a substantially U-shaped bar having two vertical legs,one of which is resilient, a latch member resiliently carried on the other leg of the U-shaped member, and a crossbar passing through the bend of the tl-shaped member for securing it to a vehicle body.

3. A. fastener for automobile hoods including a stem member having a curved lower end, a resilient leg integral with the stem and projecting upwardly from the curved portion thereof, a crossbar passing through the bent portion of the leg and providing a pivotal mounting therefor, a latch men'iber slidable on the stem, and a spring operatively interposed between the latch member and the stem.

at. A hood fastener for automobiles comprising a barrel member having a hook thereon, a stem telescopingly received in the barrel member, a spring operatively interposed between the stem and the barrel, a base member providing a pivotal support for the stem, said base member having a pair of flanges thereon with which the lower end of the barrel engages for holding the fastener in a predetermined position when it is inoperative.

5. A hood fastener for automobiles comprising a barrel member having a hook thereon, a stem telescopingly received in the barrel member, a spring operatively interposed between the stem and the barrel, a base member providing a pivotal support for the stem, said base member having a pair of flanges thereon with which the lower end of the barrel engages for holding the fastener in a predetermined position when it is inoperative, and a resilient leg attached to the stem member.

6. A latch for automobile hoods having a stem member provided with two legs, one of which is in the form of a leaf spring adapted to exert a lateral pressure against the side of an automobile hood, a latch member being resiliently car'ied on the other leg of the stem member, and means providing a pivotal support for the stem member.

7. The combination with an automobile hood latch having a downwardly urged hook member and having a laterally resilient spring member, of a catch-plate having an eye for cooperation with the hook member and having a pad against which the laterally resilient spring member presses.

8. A. hood fastener for automobile hoods comprising a barrel member having a hook at the upper end thereof, a stem extending into the barrel member, an abutment on the upper end of the stem, a spring interposed between the abutment and the lower end of the barrel, a base member on which the stem is pivotally supported for movement about a horizontal axis, and aholding surface on the base member for cooperation with the lower end of the barrel when the latch is in released position for preventing the latch from swinging inwardly or outwardly.

9. A hood fastener for automobiles having an integral U-shaped member having one leg thereof resilient to provide a spring adapted to bear inwardly against the side of an automobile hood, a reciprocal barrel carried on the other leg, a spring in the barrel cooperating with the stem, and a base member engaging the bend in the U and providing a pivo-tal support for the latch.

10. A hood fastener for automobiles hav' ing an integral U-shaped member having one leg thereof resilient to provide a spring adapted to bear inwardly against the side of an automobile hood, a reciprocal barrel carried on. the other leg, a. spring in the barrel cooperating with the stem, and a. flanged base member having a cross-pin thereon, which cross-pin engages in the bent portion of the U-shaped member to provide a pivotal support for the latch.

11. A hood fastener comprising a base member, a lever member pivotally mounted thereon having two integral vertical legs, one of said legs having a hood engaging terminal thereon, and having a resilient spring portion between the said terminal and the other leg.

12. A hood fastener for automobile hoods comprising a base member having a bridge thereon, a lever member passing under the bridge and cooperating therewith, said lever element having a vertical extension at one end thereof which is resilient and which is adapted to bear against the side of an automobile hood, the other end of said lever having a stem thereon, a barrel slidable on the stem, a spring interposed between the barrel and the stem, and a hook element carried by the barrel.

13. In a clamp for automobile hoods, a tubular housing, a hold down hook at one end thereof, a supporting bracket having a bracket pin, an element having a shank porion extending into said housing and a portion return-bent around said bracket pin, a spring within said housing acting to hold said hook in engaging position and cooperating with said housing to prevent disengagement of the said return-bent portion with the said bracket pin and an integral extension on saidelement constituting a side engaging clamp.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. T

CARL R. HENNICKE. 

